Useful Okinawan phrasesA collection of useful phrases in Okinawan. Click on the English phrases to see them in many other languages.
Key to abbreviations: >m = said to males, >f = said to females, (Shuri) = Shuri dialect, inf = informal, frm = formal, vfrm = very formal, plt = polite, col = colloquial
| English | 沖縄口 / Uchinaaguchi (Okinawan) |
| Welcome | めんそーれー (mensooree) |
| Hello | 今日拝なびら (chuu wuganabira)
はいさい (haisai) >m
はいたい (haitai) >f
へーさい (heesai) >m (Shuri)
へーたい (heetai) >f (Shuri)
今日や早く起きそーいびーんやー (chuuya feeku ukisooibiinyaa) - frm (lit. You're early today)
もしもし (moshi moshi) - on phone |
| How are you? | 頑丈やみ? (ganjuu yami?) - inf
頑丈やいびーみ? (ganjuu yaibiimi?) - frm
頑丈やみしぇーみ? (ganjuu yamisheemi?)- vfrm |
| Long time no see | 長ーさやー nageesayaa
拝ん遠さいびーたん (wuganduusaibiitan)
拝ん遠さぬ (wuganduusanu)
拝ん遠ーさ(wuganduusa)
拝ん遠さいびーやー (wugandiisaibiiyaa)
見ー遠さんやー (miiduusanyaa)
見ー遠さいびーんやー (miiduusaibiinyaa) |
What's your name?
My name is ... | う名前や何やいびーが? (u naamee ta nuu yaibiiga?)
御所何んでぃ言ちょーいびーが？(unju nuu ndi ichooibiiga?) |
...... やん (... yan) - inf
... やいびーん (... yaibiin) - frm
我ー名前や..... やいびーん (waa naamee ya....yaibiin) - frm
我ー名前や..... やん (waa naamee ya ...yan) - inf
我んねー、........ んでぃ言るむんやいびーん (wannee....(n)diirumun yaibiin)
我んねー……. んでぃ言ちょーいびーん (wannee ...(n)di ichooibiin) |
Where are you from?
I'm from ... | まーからやいびーが (maa kara yaibiiga?) - inf
まーから来ゃーびてぃい (maa kara chaabiti i?) - frm |
我んねー……からやいびーん (wannee …..kara yaibiin) - inf
我んねー……. から来ゃーびたん (wannee ….kara chaabitan) - frm |
| Pleased to meet you | 初みてぃ拝なびら (hajimiti wuganabira)
初みてぃやいびーん (hajimitiyaibiin)
初みてぃやいびーんやーさい (hajimiti yaibiinyaasai) - for males
初みてぃやいびーんやーたい (hajimiti yaibiinyaatai) - for females
初みてぃでーびーる (hajimiti deebiru) |
| Good morning | 起きみそーちー (ukimisoochii)
起きみしぇーびてぃ (ukimisheebiti) - frm
起きてぃ (ukiti) - inf |
| Good night | う憩いみしぇーびり (uyukuimisheebiri) - frm
う憩いみそーれー (uyukuimisooree) - inf |
| Goodbye | 今から行じ来ゅーん (namakara nji chuun)
I'll be back - you are leaving (inf)
今から行じ来ゃーびら (namakara nji chaabira)
I'll be back - you are leaving (frm)
いめんしぇーびり (imensheebiri)
come back soon - you are staying (frm)
めんそーれー (mensooree)
come back soon - you are staying (inf)
行じめんそーれー (nji mensooree)
come back soon - you are staying (inf)
行じめんしぇーびり (nji mensheebiri)
come back soon - you are staying (frm)
御無礼さびら (guburii sabira)
行じ来ゃーびら (njichaabira)
暇拝なびら (ituma uuganabira)
又ん御行会ー拝なびら (mata n wuichee wuganabira)
lit. let's meet again (frm)
又ん御行会ー拝ま (mata n wuichee wugama)
lit. let's meet again (inf)
また明日拝ま (mata acha wugama)
lit. let's meet again tomorrow (inf)
また明日拝なびら (mata acha wuganabira)
lit. let's meet again tomorrow (frm)
行会ー拝なびら ichee wuganabira - frm
行会ー拝ま (ichee wugama) - inf |
| Cheers/Good health! | 嘉例 (karii) |
Bon appetit
(Have a good meal) | うさがいみそーれー (usagaimisooree)
said by the cook/chef - plt
くゎっちーさびれえ (kwatchiisabiree) - plt
うさがいみしぇーびり (usagaimisheebiri) - frm
くゎっち一さびら (kwatchiisabira)
said before a meal by those eating it
くゎっち一さび一たん (kwatchiisabiitan)
said after a meal by those who have eaten it |
Bon voyage
(Have a good journey) | 行じ、めんそーれー (nji mensooree) - Go & come back - inf
行じ、めんしぇーびり (nji mensheebiri) - Go & come back - frm
道をぅてー車んかい良ーさ (michi wutee kuruma nkai yuusa)
lit. be good on your car while on the road - inf
道をぅてー車んかい良ーさびら (michi wutee kuruma nkai yuusabira) - lit. be good on your car while on the road - frm |
| I don't understand | 分かやびらん (wakayabiran) - frm
分からん (wakaran) - inf |
| Please speak more slowly | よ一んな一話し吳みしぇーびり (yonnaa hanashi kwimisheebiri) - frm
よ一んな一話し吳みそーり (yonnaa hanashi kwimisooree) - pl
よ一んな一話し吳りよ (yonna hanashi kwiriyo) - inf |
| Please write it down | 書ち吳みしぇーびり (kachi kwimisheebiri) - frm
書ち吳みそーり (kachi kwimisoori) - pl
書ち吳りよ (kachi kwiriyo) - inf |
Do you speak Okinawan?
Yes, a little | 沖縄口話さび一み？ (uchinaaguchi hanasabiimi?) - frm
沖縄口話すみ? (uchinaaguchi hanasumi?) - inf
沖縄口話しゆ一さび一み？ (uchinaaguchi hanashiyuusabiimi?) - inf
沖縄口話しゆ一すみ？ (uchinaaguchi hanashiyuusumi?) - inf
沖縄口ぬ話しやび一み？ (uchinaaguchi nu hanashiyabiimi?) - frm
沖縄口ぬ話しゆみ? (uchinaaguchi nu hanashiyumi?) - inf |
う一、うふぇ一話さび一ん (uu, ufee hanasabiin) - frm
う一、うふぇ一話すん (uu, ufee hanasun) - inf
う一, うふぇ一話しゆ一さび一ん (uu, ufee hanashiyuusabiin) - frm
う一, うふぇ一話しゆ一すん (uu, ufee hanashiyuusun) - inf
う一、うふぇ一話しやび一ん (uu, ufee hanashiyabiin) - frm
う一、うふぇ一話しゆん (uu, ufee hanashiyun) - inf |
| How do you say ... in Okinawan? | ．．．沖縄口っし何んでぃ言いびーが。
(...uchinaaguchi sshi nuu ndi 'yuibiiga?) |
| Excuse me | 御無礼さびたん (guburii sabitan)
御無礼さびら (guburii sabira) |
| How much is this? | くれーちゃっさやいびーが? (kuree chassa yaibiiga?) - col/frm
くれーちゃっさやが? (kuree chassa yaga?) col/inf |
| Sorry | 悪さいびーん (wassaibiin) |
| Thank you | 御拝でーびーる (nifee deebiiru) - frm
御拝どー(nifee doo) - inf
一杯御拝でーびーる (ippee nifee deebiiru) |
Would you like to
dance with me? | まじゅん踊いびらに。 (majun wuduibirani?) |
| I love you | 好ちゅさ一(shichusaa)
我んね一御所愛さんでぃ思と一やび一ん
(wanne unju kanasa umutooyabiin) |
Help!
Fire! | 助きてぃ! (tashikiti!)
火事やん! (kwaji yan!) |
| Call the police! | 警察呼でぃ吳みしぇーびり! (kiisachi yudi kwimisheebiri!) - frm
警察呼でぃ吳みそーり! (kiisachi yudi kwimisoori!) - pl
警察呼でぃ吳りよ! (kiisachi yudi kwiriyo!) - inf |
Merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year | メリークリスマス (merī kurisumasu)
良い正月でーびーる。(ii soogwachi deebiiru) - used before New Year |
| Happy Birthday | う生日嘉例吉うんぬきやびら (u umaribii kariyushi unnukiyabira)
う誕生日嘉例吉うんぬきやびら (utanjoobi kariyushi unnukiyabira) |
